Books and most large circulation periodicals are simply a collection of forms or signatures that have been bound together into what is commonly referred to as a book. Each signature consists of a bundle of printed pages, and includes a backbone, a head, a foot, and a pair of folios. The signatures are gathered on a binding line in a particular order, and are then stitched or glued together to form the book.
The binding line typically includes a plurality of packer boxes positioned along a gathering conveyor, with each packer box or a selected set of packer boxes delivering printed signatures seriatim onto the gathering conveyor via a rotary drum as is well known in the art. After binding, the signatures are trimmed, bundled and shipped using well known methods. A more detailed explanation of the binding line process can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,323.
Using computer control systems, it is now possible to customize a book or a magazine in order to target a particular demographic group. This is typically accomplished by selectively enabling and disabling selected packer boxes along the binding line, so that a signature designed to appeal to the targeted demographic group is inserted into the book at a designated location.
It is also possible to further customize the finished book by customizing or personalizing one or more of the signatures. A printhead is positioned to apply a customized or personalized message, such as the name and address of a magazine subscriber, to a blank reserved area on the signature prior to placement in the packer box. The only requirements are that the signatures inhabit the same location within the book, and that the blank reserved area on each of the signatures occupy the same location relative to the head and the foot in order to be functional with the printhead.
Although it is very desirable to have customized or personalized signatures, physical and financial constraints severely hamper the capacity, and hence the flexibility, of the binding line. The capacity of the binding line is limited by a number of factors, including the length of the binding line and the number of packer boxes available. Space and cost considerations frequently make it impractical, if not impossible, to add packer boxes beyond a certain number. Expansion of the binding line, or installation of a new binding line, represents a significant capital investment, and in many cases would require a new building to accommodate the larger binding line. Accordingly, there exists a need for a convenient and cost effective way to increase the flexibility of a new or an existing binding line to produce customized and personalized printed materials.